


Impromptu

by Firefliesonalake



Series: Linger Verse [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Drama, F/M, One-Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 02:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11705010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firefliesonalake/pseuds/Firefliesonalake
Summary: The first time he raised the subject, the two times he actually proposed, the one time he didn't, and the first time she realised she wasn't impartial to her feelings. Where Jedi are concerned, romance is always complicated. Female!Obi-wan/Anakin. One-shot. AU.





	Impromptu

**Disclaimer:** Star War's belongs to Disney and George Lucas. I make no profit from this.

* * *

 

**Impromptu**

The first time the subject was broached, they were seated across from each other in the sterile mess hall of Anakin's flagship _The Resolute_. Both Jedi, assigned to the same defensive taskforce in the Duros sector, had taken advantage of the arrangement to spend time together in each other's company.

Time was a precious commodity, and quiet moments were in all too short supply these days. Obi-wan was simply content sipping her steaming hot caf and bearing witness to the familiar sight of Anakin scarfing down his meal. She did not begrudge his lack of table manners. Dining etiquette did not rank high in military protocol, and Anakin had always been a fast eater. It originated from his early childhood experience of not knowing when his next meal would be. When Anakin had been introduced to temple life, it had taken weeks, with much reassurance on her part, for him adapt to the idea of a staple meal. For him to realise no one was going to steal the food off his plate.

Mug raised to her lips, Obi-wan observed her former padawan over the brim. She was not often prone to moments of nostalgia, but these kinds of rare moments offered an inner peace of its own sort. Different from the tranquillity deep immersion in the Force invoked, but pleasant all the same.

Startlingly clear blue eyes caught her own as Anakin looked up from his almost empty tray.

"What is it?" Anakin asked.

Obi-wan lowered her gaze to the liquid in her mug. "Nothing," she dismissed.

"I know you better than that. You've got something on your mind," Anakin said undeterred. "Obi-wan what is it?"

"I was merely deep in thought," she replied.

"That's not like you," Anakin remarked.

A wry smile touched Obi-wan's lips. "Surely one is entitled to moment of reflection once in a while," she said.

"If you say so."

Peering up, she noted Anakin closely scrutinising her. His expression was strangely contemplative. Perhaps he ought to have looked inward, for _he_ seemed to be the one bothered by something.

Anakin sighed deeply. "I've been thinking," he began.

"That's never a good sign," she commented.

Anakin's brow's creased. "I meant I've been thinking about us...about our _situation_ ," he elaborated.

Obi-wan started; alarmed that Anakin would be so reckless as to address the topic here in the mess hall of all places, where they could easily be overheard by military personnel.

Casting a cautionary glance around the mess hall, and only once deeming them out of ear shot from the few solitary clone troopers occupying tables on the opposite side of the room, did she speak.

"What about our situation?" she asked warily.

Anakin folded his hands together on the table. "I think we should make it more..."

He paused, struggling to find the words.

"Well?" Obi-wan prompted. It was unlike Anakin to be so unsettled.

"We should make things more…official."

Obi-wan who at that moment had unwisely taken a drink from her mug, nearly choked. Coughing, she set down her mug on the table. " _What_?!" she spluttered.

Surely, he didn't mean...

" _Marriage_." Anakin declared.

"Surely, you're not serious!" she exclaimed, voicing her thoughts aloud.

Anakin frowned. "I would never joke about something like this," he said peevishly.

Obi-wan tightened her grip on the mug still in her hands. "And how does that possibly solve our dilemma?"

That earned her a glare. "Our relationship is not a dilemma Obi-wan."

"Oh alright, dilemma is not quite the word for it, I grant you" she conceded, "but _marriage_? Anakin of all the things in the galaxy!"

"And why not? We're already committed to each other," Anakin said unabashed.

"Have you taken leave of your senses?" she demanded. Did he not understand the full brevity of what he was suggesting? They had already broken enough tenets of the Jedi Code by pursuing a forbidden affair. While they were romantically entangled, Obi-wan still endeavoured to keep her wits about her. Adding matrimony to the list of transgressions would only beget more complications.

Anakin, stubborn as always, naturally took offence to the questioning of his mental state. "Forget it!"

She resisted the unseemly urge to scoff. _Not likely any time soon_.

* * *

 

The first time he officially proposed to her was in a dank alley way. Cloistered against the wall by Anakin, an irked Obi-wan scowled up at the brazen Jedi. They had been skulking through the dimly lit streets of the Coruscanti under-levels, in pursuit of a local crime syndicate which was selling contraband to pro-Separatist insurgents. Anakin, in what she deemed a fit of madness, had pulled her into the sequestered alley way. Needless to say, she was far from amused.

"Well what is it?" she asked, impatiently. What galaxy-crazed reason could possibly warrant Anakin to suspend their mission and drag her into a dark corner?

Anakin, arms braced on either side of her head, stared down at her, blue eyes intense.

"Obi-wan," he breathed, " _Marry me_."

Instant alarm swept through her system. She knew that impassioned look all too well. By the Force, he was serious!

"What?" she stammered.

"Marry me," Anakin repeated, more of a demand than a request.

Obi-wan stiffened and drew herself upright. "I beg your pardon?" she said, positively affronted.

"You heard me."

"Have you gone mad?" she hissed.

She raised her hands to Anakin's chest, in a bid to push him away, however the Jedi refused to budge.

"Well?" Anakin said, annoyed.

"No!" she refused. "I will not give credence to such an impulsive, under-handed, fool-hardy, proposition!"

Hurt flashed across Anakin's face, and guilt filled her. At times, it was easy to forget how deeply Anakin felt things, and how often he took things personally. "I –"

Anakin shoved off the wall, away from her. "Forget it Obi-wan!"

Obi-wan took a step toward him. "Anakin! I–

"Let's just continue with the mission," Anakin said, his voice tight. He turned on his heel, and stormed down the alley way.

The Jedi Master counted every one of his large strides. As the physical distance between them became greater, she could sense Anakin close off his mind to her in the Force. To Obi-wan it seemed like a psychic duracreete barrier had imposed itself between them. In most instances, she would have chided the Jedi Knight without any qualms, but this was different altogether. Ever a proponent of maintaining transparency between them, Anakin rarely cut himself off from their Force-bond. If anything, he often accused her of being too self-contained. Finding herself on the receiving end of his indifference troubled her more than she cared to admit.

Hurrying after the Jedi Knight, Obi-wan came up to Anakin's left side. "Anakin," she said.

Anakin, ignoring her, continued to pace ahead, his face deliberately inexpressive.

"Anakin, please wait," she implored.

Her words must have had some degree of effect, for the Jedi Knight paused in his stride. Taking advantage of the moment, Obi-wan reached out and placed a tentative hand on the Jedi's shoulder.

In the Force, she could scarcely read his aura, and it did nothing to reconcile the nerves in her stomach.

She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Anakin, you know as well as I do that some things are simply not possible."

"If that's all, let's just get on with it," Anakin muttered.

"I haven't finished," she said. "Some things are simply not possible, as much as one might wish it so."

Obi-wan felt Anakin's shoulder rise and fall beneath her hand as he exhaled.

"If things were different, would you change your answer?" Anakin asked.

"I cannot say, all I know is that I would regard you no less than I do now," she swallowed, then added, "My feelings for you would remain."

The muscles in Anakin's shoulder tensed, and she braced herself for a caustic reply. Instead, the Jedi Knight swung around abruptly and pulled her into a tight embrace. Obi-wan, too stunned by the gesture made no attempt to push him away.

"Obi-wan," he murmured against her collar-bone.

After a few moments, Obi-wan half-mechanically slid her arms around Anakin's waist. Even now, after all this time, his ease with physical displays of affection still caught her off guard. A lifetime of Jedi teachings on the principle of non-attachment tended to make a person inclined to shun casual physical contact.

"Anakin," she said. "We should focus."

"Focus?"

The Jedi Knight's arms around her loosened and Obi-wan pulled back to look up at him. "On the mission," she reminded.

Anakin scratched the back of his head. "Right the mission," he said, sounding none too enthused by the prospect.

"Criminals don't catch themselves I'm afraid," she said.

"If only," Anakin grumbled.

"Yes well, if that were the case,this war would have been over long ago," she told him.

"We always want what we can't have."

Obi-wan almost flinched. Anakin's candid words hit a little too close for comfort, as she knew he had intended them to.

"Yes," she agreed softly. "We always want what we can't have."

 _And this is precisely why the Jedi Code forbids attachment of any kind_.

She had never felt more like hypocrite than she did then.

* * *

 

With her back pressed against Anakin's in a classic defensive formation, and mind given over to the currents of the Force, Obi-wan deflected an incessant stream of laser bolts. Her lightsaber, it's familiar hum indiscernible amongst the uproar of heavy artillery, was a whirlwind of blue, slicing through any droid unfortunate enough to meet the blade.

So immersed in the Force was she, that Obi-wan failed to sense the incoming danger until it was too late; a lone missile fired overhead from a passing enemy fighter.

"Uh oh!" one nearby battle droid cried.

Obi-wan looked up at the sky.

"Obi-wan!" someone yelled.

Something heavy slammed into her from behind, flattening her against the hard gravel surface. The weight remained, forcing her head down, while a deafening explosion rang in her ears. She could feel the vibrations through her body, as the nearby ground trembled from the impact of a missile.

"All clear!" Anakin said in her ear, once the quaking had subsided. "The blast destroyed what's left of those clankers."

"If that's the case, might I request you get off me so that I might stand?" Obi-wan retorted.

The Jedi Knight chuckled, his breath tickling the back of her neck. "Of course, Master," he said.

Once Anakin eased himself off her body, she rose onto her knees. Before she could stand, Anakin offered out a black gloved hand. Obi-wan took it, allowing the Jedi to pull her to her feet.

Looking up at him, she noticed he was watching her closely. In the Force, she could sense him reaching out towards her mind, probing their Force bond.

No doubt trying to discern if she was alright.

Obi-wan tightened her mental shields. Touched, inadvisably as she was by Anakin's concern, they were still in the middle of a war zone. They couldn't afford any distractions.

"Come," she urged, "We need to leave quickly. Cody and the others should not be too far ahead."

She didn't say _I'm glad you're ok_.

She didn't say _please don't risk your life for me again_.

Their mission came first, their duty foremost. All else was subject to circumstance. Their concern for each other's well-being included.

However, some niggling part of Obi-wan knew, it was far, far too late for that.

* * *

 

The third time he raised the topic of matrimony, she learnt two new things about Anakin. Firstly, he had rather idiosyncratic definition of romance. Only Anakin would deem it suitable to propose whilst they were ankle deep in sewage.

Secondly, he retained a most unfavourable habit of cornering her against walled surfaces, like he was doing presently.

Arms folded over her chest, Obi-wan regarded the Jedi Knight with a bemused expression.

Anakin, placed both large hands on her slender shoulders. He gave her a fierce and determined look.

Obi-wan knew what he was about to say. Unfortunately for Anakin she would not allow her emotions concerning Anakin cloud her better judgement.

"Obi-wan," he murmured, "Marry me."

As she opened her mouth to rebuke him, dark green sludge fell from the ceiling, and splattered Anakin's hair.

It was his expression of incredulity and the gooey substance trickling down his face, which softened her resolve.

She laughed softly, and raised a hand to brush strands of damp hair out of his eyes.

"Not now Anakin," she said, tucking his hair behind an ear.

* * *

 

The fourth time the subject was mentioned, Anakin did so indirectly. Lamentable was the fact that his newfound subtlety (per Anakin's denotation) coincided with Obi-wan's desire to meditate.

Crossed-legged on the cushioned chair, opposite from Anakin's own, Obi-wan watched the Jedi Knight with thinly veiled weariness.

Anakin leaned forward in his seat and encompassed both her hands in his.

"Please tell me you found enlightenment in such a short time," Obi-wan said.

The Jedi Knight sighed. "You know on Stewjon, in some cases it is traditional for a man to propose at least six times before a woman accepts. The more times a man proposes the more he shows his devotion," Anakin told her.

Obi-wan raised a sceptical brow. "In many parts of the galaxy, that would be considered harassment," she remarked.

"Not on Stewjon. There, it is considered a cultural norm for a woman to reject a man's proposal more than once in order to determine his level of commitment to her," Anakin said, keeping his gaze on their co-joined hands.

"Since when did you find time to research customs from my home world?" she asked, curious despite herself.

"You know me Obi-wan, boredom makes me dangerous," Anakin replied mildly.

 _Don't I know it_ , she thought wryly.

"Is there a reason why you are telling me this Anakin?" Obi-wan inquired.

Anakin lifted his eyes to her face. Under the dim glow of the meditation chamber lamps, the Jedi Knights blue eyes shone almost translucently clear. Had Obi-wan been someone to ponder trivial things, she could have marvelled at the sheer brilliance of them.

"You know why," Anakin muttered, releasing her hands.

"Anakin," she began, "we have discussed this, we cannot afford to..."

"It's never enough," Anakin snapped. "It will never be enough."

The Jedi Knight shot to his feet, and stalked to the chamber window. Obi-wan could sense his resentment, close to surface, accompanied by so many sullen thoughts.

"We knew the implications of our decision," she reminded him.

Though, sometimes she wondered if they had both fully considered the ramifications of pursuing an emotional entanglement.

"The way we feel is not something we should have to hide," Anakin said, staring at the outside Coruscanti air traffic and the dusky skyline beyond.

"But I promise you, one day we won't have to," he vowed, turning around to look at her, his expression grim.

Obi-wan knew she should have chastised him then, tried to make him see logic. Anakin and his promises never bode well. It gave him unrealistic expectations, and left him embittered when he did not meet them.

Still, she had not the heart to dissuade him. It was a fool's hope…yet a small part of her hoped for the very same thing.

Anakin wasn't the only one who held unrealistic expectations. When she had consented to their relationship, she had thought that she would have been able to put her duty before any sentimental matters.

She realised now, it was impossible to remain impartial.

_And I promise you Anakin, one day, I may be forced to choose between your life, and that of many. If that time comes, I'm not certain I'll make the right decision..._


End file.
